How big is your appetite for words?
Browsing through the Huffington Post, I happened upon a blog about strange and wonderful words. When I reached the end of the text, I realised with horror that I have…
bees at work
Why is spelling a bee?
This is a question that has been on my mind ever since my encounter with the movie Akeelah and the Bee in 2006, and I was again reminded of it…
Conniption over court appearance: A modern day hissy fit
Last month I received a self-sealing letter in the post. These are usually some or other form of traffic infringement notice. Indeed, it was. But it was red. This was…
Why is surgery an operation?
Why is surgery an operation? When asking this question, it brings to mind a scenario in a sitcom. For example, in The Nanny, Fran could be devastated when she learns…
Very, very, completely: Keep language crisp and clean
I was alerted to my default descriptive style about two weeks ago. It happened when I ran my own document through spell check prior to a more serious edit and…
Words and Phrases: Of Mondegreens and Mishearings
Blame the mishearing, blame the accent, blame the frame of reference – these give rise to mondegreens. “According to the word watcher William Safire of The New York Times, the…
What’s missing from the language?
Have you ever paid attention to the ampersand? Did you know that it and similarly formed words are called mondegreens? Newspaper style prefers the use of a full “and” only…
Ernest Hemingway
How to develop your writing style
Usually I write about grammar, but what about style? Grammar, if you know the rules, can with effort and dedication be learnt. Style, however, is unique to the individual. Writing…
A screenshot of Boston Legal
A deadly blutterance: How words are formed
Blasted, blithering and blooming. All lovely descriptive words with a possible to probable note of irritation in how they are expressed, depending on context of course. These words remind me…
Fewer words, but less data: Know the difference between fewer and less
English is a complex language and there is often confusion between words that seemingly have the same meaning but are particular in their usage. Such is the case with the…
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